Wellness Benefits Midyear Market Outlook

Treatment, technology and workforce expectation shifts for brokers helping employers plan wellness strategy for 2027.

Employee expectations for wellness support have moved faster than most programs have. More than half (55%) of the U.S. workforce is currently experiencing burnout, the highest level recorded in six years, and 83% of U.S. adults, roughly 216 million people, report experiencing financial stress, strain or uncertainty. At the same time, new GLP-1 formats, wearable devices and federal nutrition guidance are changing what employees expect their employers to support.

At the midyear point of 2026, several forces are reshaping how wellness programs are designed and used. For example:

• GLP-1 therapy is expanding beyond weight loss and diabetes, with new oral options reaching people who had never used the drugs before, as a nationwide study found that 36% of early Wegovy pill users had no prior experience with any GLP-1 medication
• Wearables have become mainstream health tools, with 57% of U.S. adults now owning at least one wearable or connected device and nearly 60% of wearable users having discussed their device data with a healthcare provider
• Awareness gaps are limiting the value of existing benefits, as about 1 in 4 employees do not know whether their employer offers mental health benefits, an EAP, flexible work arrangements or paid sick days for mental health

This report compiles midyear developments across seven areas shaping the second half of the year: the expanding GLP-1 pipeline, peptides in consumer wellness, employee financial stress, how Gen Z and millennials are changing workplace wellness, wearable technology, five mental health trends and the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Each section outlines what is driving the trend, what it means for employees and the specific steps employers should take before 2027 planning begins.

As always, employers who work with trusted advisors to stay on top of evolving wellness trends and adjust their program design and communication strategies accordingly will set themselves up for success.

Download the 2026 Midyear Wellness Benefits Market Outlook today.